I need help! w-4 for dummies with Per diem job

[sunshine539]

Hi all,

I just accepted a per diem job with a local hospital on top of my full time job (full time job 36 hours a week, per diem job will be about 4 shifts a month). Everythings great and dandy until i get to the dreaded W-4 on my per diem job employment documenation. Please help!!!

so..

for line A ill write 1 because i am single with no dependents....but then i get to Line B

it says write 1 if you are single with 1 job....do i write 1? is per diem considered another job? do i write 2? (if i write two-do i need to fix the w-4 at my current employer)

and then i get to the bottom and it says

complete all the work sheets that apply

• If you plan to itemize or claim adjustments to income and want to reduce your withholding, see the Deductions and Adjustments Worksheet.
  
• If you are single and have more than one job or are married and you and your spouse both work and the combined earnings from all jobs exceed$50,000 ($20,000 if married) see the Two-Earners/Multiple-Jobs Worksheet to avoid having too little tax withheld.
  
• If neither of the above situations applies, stop here and enter the number from line H on line 5 of Form W-4 below.
  

ok so...id be single with more than one job..if for line B i write two....and my combined earnings will be >50,000 since my current job i make more than that already. so do i fill out this form? (and again...do i now need to go to my full time employer and fill out this form too?) but then the form asks how much my lowest paying job is....techncally i get paid less an hour at my full time job....or do i just estimate how much id get paid a year if i work 4 shifts a month at the per diem job?

Oh someone please help. these dreaded w-4s confuse me so much and i dont want to do this wrong!!

[amoLucia]

Not to brush you off, but ask your payroll person. They usually know that stuff inside & out.

[sunshine539]

I don't think we have a payroll person for my facility. Anyone else?! Any idea how to fill this out??

[Proverbs 16:3]

Not to brush you off, but ask your payroll person. They usually know that stuff inside & out.

I work for a large health system that has gotten rid of that. It's outsourced and there is no onsite anymore. It's a website, you have to email or call. I called earlier in the year last year and emailed. Guess when I got a response re; the issue, november and that is when they corrected it. They used to have HR when I started but now it's there, just outsourced.

[Proverbs 16:3]

your per diem will be another job. If you're single, you don't need to do any worksheet unless you want to itemize and claim a bunch of things in which case, a tax professional can look at your situation and assist you. Basically, the higher the number you put on there, the less money is withheld and the more you get. Now depending on how much you make overall at a different job, that could put you in a different tax bracket and cause you to owe during tax season if less is withheld from your per diem job. I hope this helps.

[sunshine539]

oh okay. that makes more sense . So what happens if im already in that tax bracket? do i still fill this out? its not like the second job is bumping me into the next tax bracket? and do i have to change my w-2 with my current employer for my full time job?

[mrsboots87]

oh okay. that makes more sense . So what happens if im already in that tax bracket? do i still fill this out? its not like the second job is bumping me into the next tax bracket? and do i have to change my w-2 with my current employer for my full time job?

This is where you need a tax professional. A second job very well can bump you to another tax bracket. It depends on how much you make at both jobs and the amount of hours you put in.

Think of it like when you work too much overtime. You suddenly make barely any more mo way after 2-3 extra shifts because you get taxed at a higher rate then before from making more money. Same thing happens when you work two jobs. Except one jobs taxes don't know about the other so you don't get taxed more on the check. Instead you get dinged the next year when filing your taxes.

Use the worksheet to estimate your PRN yearly income and add it to your FTE income and it should give you an idea of what to deduct for taxes.